Step 9: Added a shelf over the weekend.

Step 10: Primed and painted over the weekend

I primed and painted the table over the weekend.

I have 2 sons, one is 3 1/2 and the other is 1 1/2 and the 3 year old is totally out of his mind crazy for Thomas the Tank Engine. He lives, eats and sleeps Thomas and his friends. During one of his many perusals of the Toys R Us catalogs, he stumbled onto the Thomas Train table and it's all he has been talking about. This is for sure something he wants for Christmas, but the table alone is $299.00. Add in the many sets (anywhere from $39 - $129) and trains (anywhere from $9.99 - $29.99) you can easily spend close to $1,000. Well that isn't an option, but building one is.

Great! Thanks for the reply. I don't know if you can edit step 9 or not, but there you said cut the bottom shelf 2 inches shorter, but in the comments I see you corrected and said one inch shorter. About to head to the local wood store (my home is in China) and hoping I'll find some decent choices of wood. I'm equally worried about finding polyurethane that won't have a harmful odor for our boys.

Since the legs are 1/2" think the shelf would need to be 1" less on length and width. I didn't realize I didn't explain that. Sorry about that. I kind of fly by the seat of my pants with things like this. Feel free to ask more questions if you need.

Just to say thanks... you have inspired me to make this for christmas for my kids. They too spotted the Thomas table in our local toy store and you are right... with the figurines, track and so on... it was just short of €800 (Euros)

The only alteration i plan is to place four castor wheels on the legs for easy movement around their bedroom so it can be put away easily. (And if my wife ever finalises what colour i should paint it!) - although i do prefer the royal blue colour you painted.

So thank you man... you plans on here will be used to build this and i honestly cant wait to see their faces on christmas morning this year!

I cut 4 pieces of 1x4 and tacked them to the inside of the legs and then slid the shelf in while the table was upside down. I then measure the distance from the bottom of the shelf to the bottom of the leg and cut 4 more pieces and tacked them into place to hold the shelf when I flipped it right side up.

Will probably be painting the landscape and adding track this weekend.